Never Pay for a Toll Road Again

There is nothing worse than cruising down the road listening to some great tunes and making good time when suddenly a toll stop appears over the horizon. Great. Now you have to fumble for change and hope you have some dollar bills.

Luckily, technology has come to the rescue. Online map & direction services like Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, or MapQuest, offer options to avoid tolls. These can be done on both your computer or on your smart phone. Many GPS devices also have the same options. I have used this feature many times and have never regretted the decision. This article will show, step by step, how to use Google Maps on an iPhone to avoid tolls. The example trip will be from Indianapolis, IN to Chicago, IL. Normally, taking this route would require you to pay a $4 toll on Chicago’s Skyway. I hate to admit it, but I paid this toll a few times in the past. Don’t make the same mistake as me.

Step-By-Step Guide

Step 1: Navigate to the Google App (download for free from the Apple App Store if you do not have it on your phone.

Step 2: Type in your staring point and destination. Notice in picture 2 that the route to Chicago has tolls.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Step 3: Click the “From-To” box and click “Route options” as shown in the picture below.

Picture 3

Step 4: Check “Avoid tolls” and push the back arrow

Picture 4

Step 5: Choose your desired route and voilà – no tolls. Now the route to Chicago is road tax-free and it only takes a whole minute longer.

Picture 5

Things to Consider

The route that has no tolls can sometimes take longer because of increased distances or more traffic. Many times the routes are highways that have traffic lights. If you are trying to decide the best route to take, then you can use the satellite view on Google maps and see how many stops or traffic lights there are.